Dennis Heitzmann

Dennis Heitzmann

Dennis Heitzmann, senior director and special assistant to the vice president for Student Affairs at Penn State, recently received a presidential commendation award from the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors.

Benjamin Locke has been named senior director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Penn State, effective Aug. 1. Locke will be transitioning to this new role after serving as associate director of clinical services for CAPS since 2011. Locke will succeed Dennis Heitzmann, who served as senior director since 1984.

A new position that will address the growing demand for counseling and psychological services at Penn State will be discussed during the next episode of WPSU Penn State’s “Higher Education in Focus: Evaluating Mental Health on Campus” with University President Eric Barron. The show will air at 8 p.m. April 21 on WPSU-TV and WPSU-FM.

The Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH), founded by and housed at Penn State’s Counseling and Psychological Services, Thursday (Feb. 5) released its sixth annual report, which describes more than 100,000 college students seeking mental health treatment at 140 colleges and universities. Easily the largest and most representative of its kind, the report summarizes trends in college student mental health during the last six years. Among its findings, the report indicates that rates of self-injury and suicidal thoughts are on the rise.

Recent news headlines across the United States have shed light on mental health concerns among teens and young adults in distress -- whether questioning their sexual orientation or dealing with an unhealthy relationship -- where others resorted to bullying, harassment and other violence against them. Experts from Penn State's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) answered questions about the effects of peer bullying and discrimination, and what college students and their friends and loved ones can do to support students who may be demonstrating signs of distress, anxiety or depression.

Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois University -- Deadly shootings at these and other schools are leading to new and innovative ways to identify students in distress and offer help in times of need. Penn State Public Broadcasting has helped create a new tool for faculty and staff to assist such students.

For any student, going away to college and encountering new academic and social pressures can be a challenging experience. For some, those challenges, as well as pre-existing conditions, can result in issues that need the attention of qualified mental health experts. Dennis Heitzmann, director of the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Penn State's University Park campus and an expert in college student mental health issues, said that the preponderance of students his center sees are dealing with anxiety and depression, but that each client is dealing with a unique situation.